


Raggedy and Not My Dad

by lunaseemoony



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Time Babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 14:46:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7688530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaseemoony/pseuds/lunaseemoony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate universe to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/series/296726">Foundations</a>, what would happen if young Alina was faced with her dad regenerating?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Raggedy and Not My Dad

**Author's Note:**

> I'm posting older works from tumblr to complete collections. 
> 
> NOTE: Although this takes place in the Foundations universe and uses its character set, this is not canon to the story. 
> 
> Prompted by hanluvr. Thank you! :)

“See? Now mummy’s resting. She’ll be just fine!” the moppy-haired stranger promised Alina as he whirled around and grinned, clapping his hands. It was more like her spinning ballerina after she broke than whirling. He wasn’t at all coordinated. 

Seriously though, his head was a mop. Despite what he’d told her, that alone disqualified him from Dad status. Alina’s daddy knew how to do his hair, and was starting to teach her the importance of a properly wild hairstyle befitting a young Time Lady. She’d be surprised if this clown even knew what a comb was. He might have been wearing her daddy’s clothes, but they hung off him like her dolls’ clothes on the wrong doll. He looked just as tall but his head was too big (but that might’ve just been the moppy hair). What he did look like was a cartoon. Like a scarecrow with a mop on its head instead of a straw hat. Was he certain he didn’t pop out of her telly?

“I’m staying with mummy,” Alina insisted, and clambered up onto the bed to snuggle up to her sleeping mum. 

“Alina, we’ve got to get you looked over and into to your own bed.” 

“No.”

“Aww come on, mummy will be up in a few hours I promise! I think. Maybe. She likes to sleep, your mum. She’ll be up in a while! In the meantime you and I can try a cup of milk and biscuits with a story. How’s that sound? Actually I don’t like milk. Milk is rubbish. How’s about hot cocoa? Hot cocoa and bananas! I think I still like bananas. Bananas are brilliant.”  Something about this in his mind must have warranted a goofy little dance and matching grin to accompany it. Alina couldn’t be certain why exactly. 

She curled her lips and turned her nose up at him and nestled up to her mum tighter, moving her arm to wrap around her back. “Don’t like hot cocoa.”

“Right. Of course! I knew that. Tea, right? Nice cup of tea for my little lioness, right?”

Alina swallowed back tears that made her eyes sting. “You’re not allowed to call me that!”

“Why not?”

“You’re not my daddy!”

Alina pulled the covers up to her face and eyed the moppy-haired cartoon warily. Even his expressions were wrong. Dead wrong. She was thoroughly convinced. And when her mum woke up she would tell her she was right. Daddy was the hero of the day, jumping in front of mummy just in time. Her mum still got hit, but not as badly. It was just… after that and the golden glow he just… disappeared. But he was going to come back, and he’d tell her that there was a Time Lord trick letting him disappear into thin air and reappear hours later. And he’d teach it to her, like every other trick a little Time Lady ought to know. 

“I am too.”

“You’re not!”

“I am!”

She hugged her mum tighter, protecting her from the moppy-haired cartoon. Her daddy wouldn’t do this to her. If it was all one of his silly tricks he’d have given up by now. He’d have popped out from a corner and shouted “surprise!” If that was the case then who was this character? Alina already had a fun uncle. Uncle Jack would know what to do. If she wasn’t afraid of leaving her mum alone with this character she’d make an attempt at taking them to him. The situation was hopeless. 

“Oh no no no no no. Not the tears. I don’t do tears. Please don’t cry.” 

His plea came too late. She was already leaving a puddle on her mum’s t-shirt.

“Where’s my daddy?” she cried. 

“It’s me! Right here!”

She pulled the covers partly over her face and shook her head. “No you’re not,” she bleated.

“Oh now please stop with the crying. It is me, honest.”

He started to frown and tug at his wild hair. He started to look distressed. Still, Alina remained resolute. It could be a trick. Daddy taught her to be careful. There were some seriously tricky monsters out there. 

The moppy-haired cartoon approached the bed and knelt down, his chin hanging on the mattress. “Alina, please don’t do this to me. This isn’t easy for me you know. Daddy could use a friendly face right now.”

“Prove it,” she chuffed. “Prove you’re him.”

“D’you remember a few months ago we talked about how our faces might change? But it’s still me?” She shook her head. “Yes you do. All right. How about the time I brought home that dragon for mummy’s birthday but mummy got sad because it got lost in the TARDIS? And you drew mummy a picture to make her feel better?” He barely spoke above a whisper. “Or all those times I let you help me make repairs while mummy slept? How about when I was ill while your mum was off traveling with your Aunt Martha and Aunt Donna, and you stayed with me so I wouldn’t be lonely, remember? Or how we used to make up stories in Gallifreyan? Just you and me? Or that time that I bumped my head and you were sad -”

“Because you couldn’t remember me.” Alina pursed her lips and sniffed after she took his outstretched hand. Her mum stirred in her sleep and they both froze, making certain she was still asleep. “I don’t understand.”

His hand tightened around hers. “I know. It’s really weird isn’t it?”

“I don’t like it. I liked you before.”

“I’m sorry sweetheart.” He paused and that silly grin returned to his face. “Come on, I really want to give these new teeth and taste buds a go. I’ll make us biscuits.”

“Mummy said that’s bribery.”

He tugged at her hand and up into his arms. He felt a bit skinner against her stomach, if that was even possible. “Your mum’s asleep. Besides, I think today’s a good day for a bit of bribery.”

“Only if you promise you won’t do it again.”

His face hardened. “If you or your mum are in danger I will do it again, Alina. That’s what daddies are for. One day you’ll understand.”

One day she did.


End file.
